What you find in a forest
by Mipping
Summary: DISCONTINUED Link is riding in the forest one day when he finds a wounded girl in there...LinkxZelda
1. Chapter 1

It had been just after dusk that Link had found the girl. He'd been riding through the forest, the one nearest to the town, as Epona hadn't had much exercise for the past few days, the autumn leaves were left crackling under her hooves in her wake, and had almost rode past the girl had it not been for a tall black mare trotting obtrusively into Link's path. Neighing to gain his attention te horse reared up slightly, turning to signal that they should follow him, Link had followed on foot after that, cutting through bracken with his wooden sword for a minute or two before they had reached her. She had some bad wounds Link saw, a slash cutting up her arm, and another sliced along her waistline, the blood was beginning to clot thankfully, but still it smeared across his clothes as he lifted her up from the ground, her head lolling against his chest, positioning her gently in his arms so as not to hurt or rumple her even more.

He stumbled through the path he'd cut through the foliage before, a few scratches appearing on his arms. It started to rain as he walked back; clicking his tongue so that both horses followed him. The girl was light, for which he was grateful for, it had made the journey that little bit easier. Occasionally a twig would pop out at him and he would have to brush it aside, but apart from the few of those the journey was only hindered by the amount of water now seeming to gush relentlessly from the darkened sky. By the time he reached his front door, after climbing up the ladder – balancing the girl over his shoulder, he could feel her long, sodden hair dripping down his back, and indeed his own dirty blonde hair was plastered to his forehead; small water droplets rolling down his face from the tips of the strands. He kicked the wooden door open forcefully when he reached it, and ran, his boots sloshing against the wooden floor as the moisture drained off of them, with the water left outside to put her down on his bed, scanning over her slim form to make sure that no wounds were even near life threatening before putting his arm in front of his face to protect himself from the gale as he went to get both horses to a shelter of some sort.

A little later, hardly five minutes, he pushed himself through the door and closed it firmly; glad to leave the torrential downpour outside. He didn't stop to look himself over as he strode over to the damp body lying on the blankets in the corner of the room. He ran his hand lightly over her wounds, a small amount of blood on the quilt beneath her, before turning on his heel and snatching some bandages from a high cupboard, he wrapped them tightly around both her arm and waist, before he even stopped to brush the dark blonde – almost light brown - tresses from her face, her hair had begun to dry. She was beautiful, he blushed slightly before pushing himself up from the knelt position he'd found himself in, and walking over to the old cooking fire to put on some soup.


	2. Chapter 2

Light was beginning to tint the sky as Link rose from the mound of itchy blankets he'd made a bed from. He'd slept well, despite being on the floor; no dreams had followed him into his rest. He pushed himself up from the floor, grabbing onto the small oak table with one hand so as to steady himself, then after taking a moment to observe the familiar surroundings of his home – a tree house just outside of the villages boundaries, some of the men in the village had helped construct it when he was a child – then moved over to rest a hand on the girls pale forehead. He brushed a few locks of hair from her face, and then moved down to check her bandages were still in place, hoping that she had not jostled them in her sleep.

A small shriek caused him to jump back in shock; the girl had shot up into a sitting position, and was pulling the blankets up higher. Links hand flew to the back of his head, mussing the dirty blonde hair, a red hue on his cheeks. The girl only stared at him in open shock, her mouth parted just so and her cherry cheeks heating, her eyes darted around the room before returning to the young man standing awkwardly in front of her. His stance was tense, and he was flexing his hands nervously, while she merely stared at him, flattening the creases on her ruined dress. It had been ripped the previous day as she had fought her way through the forest, the fabrics braiding falling apart and the satin stained with splashes of mud.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice maintaining a civil tone.

Link squinted at her, weighing the chances of her being someone to keep the information from. He couldn't believe she would hurt him, she was wounded and although it was tattered, her clothing would have been finely tailored originally, he wouldn't think her some sort of threat when he knew nothing of her. If she had some other motive in coming here it would have been revealed, surely?

He smiled tentatively at her, shuffling his feet, "It's Link, Miss. But what's yours?"

She hesitated before answering, her expression freezing for a moment, then she muttered, "My names Zelda." She looked up at him from under her lashes, waiting to see his reaction.

"Nice name." He smiled lazily at her, leaning against a wall.

"Thank you."

He grinned at her, then looked out of the window, and groaned.

Zelda face took on a look of worry, "What's wrong?"

"Eh, I've got work down at the ranch. I need to be there in a few minutes." He looked at her pointedly, blue eyes intense, "You can stay here, or come with me, whatever you like?" He smiled gently at her, still supporting himself against the rooms' wall.

"I'll come if that's allowed," She slipped a smile up at him; "I would rather not be alone, although I know nothing about you, however, I don't think I'm exactly appropriately dressed?" She laughed lightly.

Link turned his head away slightly, and murmured quietly, "I can go down to the town and see if one of the women will lend you a dress…or something?"

"If you could I'd be much more settled."

"Of course, I'll be back soon…" A ghost of a grin appeared on his lips but then he turned around and left the house.

He reached the village quickly, cutting down the dusty path, and by the time he got there he found he still hadn't thought of how to explain to the townsfolk what had happened. He couldn't ask Ilia, snide remarks and accusations would be all he would get in return, so settled on asking Colin's – a young boy in the village, who looked up to Link greatly – Mother. She'd be sure to help.

"Oh, Link, you do surprise me, did you say her name was Zelda?" Colin's Mother questioned laughing to herself as Link told her what had happened.

"Yes." He replied quietly.

She smiled warmly, the type only a mother could ever manage, and crossed over to an old wooden closet.

She opened the doors then turned her head to the side to address Link again, "What kind of thing are you looking for?"

"Err, I'm not sure, anything I suppose."

"Umm, what are you going to do today?"

He smiled at the woman's questions, he was very grateful for her help, it had avoided many awkward situations, "I was going to take her down to the ranch – while I worked today – I don't think she wants to be stuck up there in a place she doesn't know."

Colin's Mother turned back to the closet and starting going through the clothes, he could hear the ruffling of fabric as she pushed them to both sides.

"This should do for what you need?"

She'd pulled out a long dress, the main fabric a scarlet colour while the corset was made from a smooth, it felt like silk to the touch, leather. There was no outstanding detail to it, only the laces that criss-crossed over the front of the corset, but to Link's eye the dress looked rather fine.

He looked up from the dress and smiled at her, "Yes, thank you."

"Glad I could help; if she wants she can keep it, on one condition." She put on a mock-stern face.

"Yes?"

Colin's mother laughed loudly, "That I get to meet her, of course!"

She passed the dress to him, making sure it was folded so no creases would come, and then stepped back to wave at the young man. Link nodded, his fringe swishing into his eyes, then grinned, said a quick goodbye and left to return to give the dress to Zelda.


	3. Chapter 3

NOTE: I'm sorry that I didn't know all of the characters names in the last chapter, I've realised that 'Colin's mother' is in fact called Uli and others as well. Also I'm sorry that this chapter's shorter than the last, I just wanted to put something up so that if anyone's reading this they won't lose interest!

* * *

The door creaked slightly as Link pushed it open, the dress still draped over his arm, the fabric was warm to the touch – heated with the suns rays while he had walked home. He turned towards the bedroom, his free hand running across the bark covered walls, where he had left Zelda a little while earlier. He found her sat up on the window sills ledge, her feet tucked under her and her body faced outwards towards the scene before her, she was watching the light filter through the forests trees and shrubbery, a far away look clouding her expression and penetrating her sky-blue eyes. 

She turned when Link stepped forward, his footstep sounding in the house's quietness, his hand still trailing along the rough surface, he smiled shyly at her, watching her surprised expression melt into a calm façade.

"I've brought a dress from one of the woman, Uli, in town for you." He spoke quietly, the light tones still resounding clearly in the room.

"Thank you, how must I repay her?"

"Only by introducing yourself," he said in hushed tones.

"Oh, are you sure nothing more?"

"Certain," He replied, looking down to the floor, he cleared his throat slightly, "I'll be outside, you can change and then we'll ride down to the ranch."

He placed the dress on the small wooden stool in the room, looked at her quickly, up and down her face, with a tiny, lopsided smile.

He left the house, and as he waited scuffed his boots against the gritty floor bordering the tree he was standing under. His footwear was always scuffed, dirtied by work or by play, it didn't matter, it was always one of them.

Zelda sighed happily as she tied herself into the dress, the fabric was soft against her milky skin, and the colour was striking against it, she adored the clothes already. Carefully she threaded the laces through the slits in the corset, smoothing her hands down it once she had finished. She raised her eyes to look curiously out of the small window at the young man, who was pacing outside.

Link stopped dead as she walked out, the material swishing around her as she ascended from the house. The corset hugged her body's curves, as if familiar to her shape; it was a very feminine accentuation. Link swallowed, and then smiled warmly at her, gesturing with a rough hand towards Epona.

Link urged Epona into a trot as they headed into the main part of Ordon village, away from steep paths she might have stumbled on if she had run, his hair was blown back from his face, occasionally brushing his cheeks, with the horses movements, and he was sure his companions was flying about behind her. Link smiled at the villages' children, who jumped up to wave at him as he passed, he spent many days with the younger residents of the village, showing them the skills he had with weapons, or just generally playing with them. He could feel Zelda's hands grip his waist that little bit tighter as Epona trotted faster, gaining to a canter, the fabric on his tunic creasing where she held on. As they exited Ordon's centre he could see Colin dragging his mother by the hand, outside of the door to where they were within view, Uli looked towards them in interest, and many of the other villagers were coming out of there houses to see who the young lady he, the farm boy Link, was accompanied by was, ashamed to admit it but, unusually, Link was pleased to be seen.

Once they had arrived at the ranch Link dismounted and helped Zelda down, although he doubted she needed it, if she had rode here – despite the fall, or whatever it had been that had caused her to fall out of the saddle – she must have been a fairly good rider in the least. Link didn't believe riding came naturally; it took in the least a little training required. When he looked up he saw the other worker in the ranch, a young man by the name of Fado, was running wildly around the field, through the long grass and over small mounds in the earth, his arms flailing as he yelled out, chased by one of his wiry-coated goats. Zelda laughed from beside him, a hand raised to try and smother the sound, as Link put his hands on his hips and waited until Fado noticed he was in company.

Half way around the field Fado turned his head and saw them, skidding to a stop, and his face pictured with mortification, probably from having a lady watching him, the goat still charging behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

Links eyes widened slightly as he saw the goat come up behind Fado, its short legs pummelling the ground, and as funny as it would be to see what happened, he felt sorry for the man, these things often happened to Fado, and only him.

Link cupped his hands to his mouth, and shouted as loudly as he could, "Move Fado!"

Fado turned around quickly, on instinct, and yelled,"yee-ahhhhhhhh" before diving out of the way, rolling down the grassy mound of the field.

Link ran forward and grasped the goat's horns, planting his feet firmly on the ground; he cringed at the force of the animals' impact but held on tightly, the muscles straining in his arms and legs. He swung the goat over his shoulder, the hit of the ground leaving it stunned for seconds before it slowly got up and began grazing again.

Link stood up straight, rubbing his hands together as he watched the animal stand up, he didn't hear Zelda move over to him but soon she stood in front of him, concern lighting in her eyes.

"Are you hurt?"

He smiled at her worry, finding it endearing, and answered that he was perfectly fine.

Zelda smiled at him then turned to walk over to Fado, who was in the barn tending to the animals, Link jogged to catch up with her, walking at her side once he had.

"Do you do that often?"

Link looked down at her, "Occasionally when the animals are a little too lively." He chuckled as he watched her.

"Oh, I suppose it happens quite a lot then," She paused for a moment as she pondered on something or other, "Can you teach me?"

He turned to her surprised, "You?"

She looked slightly affronted but a teasing tone mingled in her voice, "Why not?"

"I could, perhaps. But not now, you've only just arrived here, we still have things that need to be sorted out."

She looked downcast at that, but then regained her composure, "But we're staying here today aren't we?"

"Until my work is done for the day, then I am at least, and I presume you'll be with me…so yes."

"Good, I like it here,"

Link laughed, "You haven't even seen the town, or met anyone!"

Zelda blushed slightly, "I mean here at the ranch, it's nice, welcoming." She laughed, a pleasant sound, he thought, "And, I'm sure the villagers can't be bad, I've met you, Fado, and been leant a dress. You all seem like lovely people."

"Thank you, I sincerely hope your opinion doesn't change."

They stopped talking as they entered the barn, different animals stood in the sides of it, Link moving over to pat one of the goats, Zelda following him. He stroked the coat of one of the more elder goats in the herd, pushing the fur back against the animal's back, Zelda watching him, intrigued.

"You can stroke her if you like, they're very tame animals." He whispered to her.

Tentatively she reached out a hand to brush against its fur. She looked timid, Link thought, shy to the animals which most people grew up with in the area that Ordon was settled in. Zelda was smiling now, he doubted she realised she was doing it, as her hand moved down the back of the animals head, soothing the old goat.

Moments later a clang echoed in the barn, catching the pair's attention, and they turned to see Fado cursing under his breath as he tried to pull the bucket they used for milking off of his foot. Zelda turned back around to face the goat, trying to cover laughter as she resumed her attention to stroking the goat. Link sighed, it was a typical day; he smiled apologetically at Zelda then went over to assist the poor man. He tugged on the bucket, trying to pull it off but it was fitted so snugly to Fado's boot that it didn't budge, he stood back, watching Fado sway about the room, his balance even less then usual.

Link grabbed another bucket and told him to sit down, if he fell over and hit his head it would do no-one any good, Zelda was now walking over to them, her footsteps light on the floor, only hay crunching under her weight.

"Do you have butter up here?"

"Hmm, don't think that's what's needed right now, but, later, I'm sure we can find some" He didn't understand what she meant by that or what it was about; he was more concerned with pulling the bucket off.

She sighed, "You use the butter to slide the bucket off."

Zelda raised an eyebrow at him, smiling coyly, while Link just stood there looking at her in surprise.

Fifteen minutes later Zelda and Link strode out of the barn, leaving a limping Fado behind, his boots smothered with gooey butter, and they laughed quietly at the turnout of things. For the rest of the day – when they were occupied at the ranch – they sat on one of the small hills in the field, Link lying down on the grass, his hair falling over his eyes in the light breeze, keeping one eye fixed on Zelda, the other on the goats at all times. Meanwhile Zelda moved about the ranch stroking the various goats, pacing up and down the width of it, a melancholy expression overcome on her face as she lost herself in thoughts or memories – it was impossible to tell, and once she'd walked around the outer circle she joined Link, seating herself next to him, sitting like she had been when he gave her the dress. They willed the hours away in companionable silence for the most part, sometimes saying how nice they thought something looked or discussing Epona and Zelda's own steed. It had been a pleasant afternoon, but as it got later into the evening a chill crept in and Link had asked Fado to look after the ranch while he took Zelda into town to find a cloak to keep her warm.

After Link came back from talking to Fado he looked up to the hill where they had seated themselves, and when he saw she was not there or around the field, he was soon running out of the ranch to search for her.

"ZELDA!" He yelled, the sound being carried by the wind, he ran his hands through his hair anxiously, his worry increasing.

He ran down into town, his boots clomping on the firm ground, however, when he saw her talking to Uli, he didn't know whether to be relieved or angry – finally deciding that neither was useful, certainly not angry, it was no one's fault, just a simple misunderstanding. He tried to calm his breathing as he walked, leisurely to the outside eye, though he felt a little stiff on the inside.

"I see you've met each other then." He smiled pleasantly at them both.

Uli, smiled kindly at him, "Um-hm, that we have," she turned back to Zelda, looking the younger lady in the eye, curiosity plain, "We don't often get visitors in these parts, being hidden away between the forests as we are, it's been lovely to meet you Zelda."

"And you, also I feel that I must say thank you for the clothes. I appreciate it greatly."

"That's no problem, I'm glad there's someone to wear them, they were just gathering dust!"

Link smiled at them, he was happy to see that Zelda got on with the village people, although she had no obvious problems from the injuries she had; he still did not think it wise for her to leave yet. If she exerted herself too much she could open the wounds again, and without help it was hard to say what would happen, Link winced – his teeth clenched together so the sound hissed through – at the thought. Painful – that was what it would be.


	5. Chapter 5

Link waited patiently as Zelda and Uli finished their conversation, he had thought about introducing the younger lady to Ilia that day as well, but feared the village girl's response. She had never been particularly considerate of her emotions, well, not to people; Epona received great attention from her, Ilia had a kind heart, but he decided a meeting could wait to another day. As the exchange ended Uli walked away, her belly bulging from her unborn child, Zelda turned and smiled bashfully at him, her hands fiddling with the bottom of the tight leather corset.

"I'm sorry for keeping you."

His expression softened, "I'm glad you met Uli, she's with child at present, though I'm sure you noticed, and is a kind woman, she'll make a good friend." After he spoke Link nodded his head towards the path which ran through Ordon, and the pair began a steady walk to where Epona was grazing.

"Yes, she has been lovely to me; I think I can picture her with a family."

Link nodded his head in agreement, "There are other people in town you might like to meet; if you stay longer then I will take you to see them, there's a friend of mine who you might befriend as well"

Zelda's shoulders stiffened, her posture becoming taller somehow, and her eyes were wary, scanning his face with suspicion.

Her voice was rigid, "Yes, I could stay longer, but I really must move on soon."

Link frowned, his eyes darkened by inquiries he wished to voice "Your not healed, and there are no towns close enough that there's no risk of straining yourself," He replied sternly, and as he watched her he puzzled the reaction she had displayed to himself silently, his eyes narrowed as he wondered for the reasoning of the tone her voice had acquired, "Besides," He added hastily, abandoning the topic that seemed to displease her, they had arrived by Epona's side and he was gathering her reigns in his hands, "Your perfectly welcome here, and I don't mind sharing my home, your no trouble."

He smiled contentedly as her expression relaxed, the tension rolling out of her body. As much as he pondered her sudden severe-ness he turned his thoughts away from it, it was nice to have company so close to his age, he doubted she was more than a few months younger than him, and he did not wish to lose it so soon. A few days for her to rest, and a few days for him to have new company, he viewed it as a fair trade. Zelda smiled at him, and gently took the reigns from his hard-worked hands, her cheeks were rosy as she removed them from his relaxed grip, the glow of the sun setting splaying a golden wash against one side of her face, he stared at her in return; his eyes widened and his mouth was slightly open, his cheeks brightened also, but he had a air of ease about him as he helped her into the saddle.

He allowed her to sit in front of him as they rode, remembering her grip on his tunic before, he had one arm hooked about her slim waist to help her keep on balance and the other held the reigns. The ground was uneven, rough and the ride was slowed by the loss of light, but they arrived back to the tree house after passing through a short-cut the children and Link had discovered in previous explorations.

He jumped nimbly from his horse's back, leading Epona to the spot where she usually stayed at night, Zelda sat straight backed as Link led the horse into the spot, tethering her to the crooked post that stood waiting, and helped Zelda to slide down, his hands curled around the top of her arms, and her dress falling settling behind her once she stepped forward.

He turned to climb the small ladder into the house when he heard Zelda ask him something, "Sorry?"

"Can we go back to the ranch tonight?"

He smiled kindly at her, glad she hadn't minded the dullness he assumed it would be, "Not tonight, but perhaps tomorrow. I've got work and you can do what you wish."

He climbed up, and opened the moss covered door, leaning on it slightly so that it would open. He held it open for the lady and, after the fabric of her gown had swished against his ankles when she passed, entered after her; she was standing just inside, looking quietly down at the floor, not sure what to do with herself.

He moved over to the small fire and piled recently cut wood onto the old ashes, he began the process of lighting it while he told her what would happen that evening, "I've got to finish my work at the ranch, but its too chilly for you down there – getting a cold wouldn't help you recover – so I'll be back later. You can do anything you want around here; I've got some old parchment on the shelf along with a couple of books. Is there anything else you will need?"

"Can I make you dinner?"

Link looked at her amused, "What host would I be if I let you do that?"

"One who wishes to entertain me?"

He chuckled, "If that's what you want to do, then you can do it." His smile slanted, "Actually, the only thing that you could use to make anything is some vegetables, would making a soup be suitable for you? We can take an adventure tomorrow to get some other foods."

Zelda's eyes shined out in the remaining sun light, a delighted grin accompanying them, Link's smiled spread further at her evident assent to the trip.


	6. Chapter 6

Link trudged back up to the door, a pleasant façade surrounding him; he opened it, and immediately looked around the small house for Zelda. He smiled as he saw her lying on the floor, her dress spanned out around her, a book open, and her head nestled within the pages; her chest rose and fell against the floor as she took calm steady breaths, her face tranquil as she slept. He walked up to her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, the other under her knees, then he gathered her dress under one arm, feeling the small mound of bandages - which were barley recognisable - under the scarlet cloth, as he lifted her and - after adjusting to the weight – carried her easily over to the small bed. He pulled a quilt over her once she had settled into a comfy position and tucked it up to under her chin. He whispered a quiet goodnight, then moved away from the bedside and over to where the book lay forgotten.

He flipped the colouring pages over and looked at the wrinkling front cover, "A History of Hyrule." He muttered to himself, remembering when Rusl, Uli's husband, had given it to him so that he might read some more 'historical facts' instead of 'unbelievable stories'.

He wedged the book in the space on the shelf it had inhabited before, and then moved on to preparing himself for a warm supper and bed.

Zelda awoke the next morning surrounded by a cosy blanket, and for a minute she panicked as to where she was, the usual lace curtains that hung on the walls of her room were absent from the scene, and this bed she lay in was pushed against a wooden wall, but she soon remembered. She raised herself up into a sitting position, the blanket falling to ruffle about her waist, and paused for a second to look at the young man who lay on a pile of blankets, on the wooden ground, by her bedside. She reached a hand down to muss his hair, playing with the dirty blonde locks, as she did so he shifted in his sleep, groaning softly in the back of his throat, Zelda lay back down into the beds warmth, tugging the sheets up around her again– keeping her hand resting on his forehead – and smoothed her fingers through his hair when she felt him shuffle every so often.

Sun light flooded over Links face as he emerged from sleep, twisting around to stretch stiff muscles, he felt something cool brush along his forehead and raised his hand to meet whatever it happened to be. Cool fingertips touched his own, and he smiled before he hoisted himself up, the hand drawing itself back under blankets, only to see the half asleep lady who looked down at him from the bed he had stayed beside that night, in-case she happened to catch fright from nightmares, he smiled at her and was returned with one himself.

"Morning." He said softly.

She removed her hand from his forehead, and used it instead to push back stray hairs that had fallen in front of her eyes, "Hello."

"Are you ready to get up, or do you want to sleep some more?"

"Hmm, I'll get up; I've been up longer then you anyway."

"you should have woken me!"

She smiled contentedly, "You looked so peaceful, truly, mother's would coo over you."

Link chuckled as they smiled teasingly at each other, "Come on then," He paused, "We should get you some more dresses soon."

"You said something about a trip yesterday?"

"Yes, we can do that as well."

Zelda smiled impishly, blushing, "I can wash the dress anyway."

"True." Link conceded, trying to put the implications of the statement to a locked corner in his mind.

An hour later Link saddled Epona; Zelda sat amidst the long grass, running her long fingers through the golden waves. Every now and again, Link would glance at the girl, smiling jollily, and talking to her about riding together later.

"I suppose so." Zelda flopped back so that she was completely obscured by the grass.

Link rustled the waves with his hands and listened to her laugh, the ends of the long stems tickling her cheeks. "Aye."

A hand stuck itself out and patted the air absentmindedly, "How's Noir?"

Link frowned, "Noir?"

"My horse, I haven't seen him, someone's been looking after him right?"

"Eh, well Fado was…"

She giggled, "I trust him. Just as long as Noir's well I don't mind who cares for him, really, I should do it myself."

"Well, I will not let you." He said teasingly.

Zelda laughed at this and Link smiled, then he stepped into the grass to pull her up, his hands folding over hers. He lifted her onto the horse, and then grabbed hold of the reigns, feeling the familiar dents in the material from the many times they had been used, and tugged himself up. Epona neighed, the sound vibrating through her body, then once Link had clicked his tongue she went into a trot, and as he urged her on more she brought herself into a fast canter.

Zelda wrapped her arms around Links waist, then pulled his shot bow from his pocket, he could feeling her shift behind him, as she fiddled with the small toy, he could feel her press herself against him tightly, her warmth spreading through him, so that she could balance on the horse's back. Link had decided on taking her to the spring, and then walking with her through trails in the woods – they could pick up mushrooms if she wanted to – following paths that had been worn into the ground by other villagers. He heard Zelda twang the string on the bow, fiddling with it, twisting the toy around in her fingers, and wondered if she knew how to use one. He doubted she had, they weren't as common as they once had been. He steered Epona around a corner, then eased her into a walk as they neared where he wanted to stop.

She was amazed by the beauty of the place. The water flowed down the small ramps in cascades, and pooled at the base in a circle, there were dainty flowers and intertwining roots which surrounded it, and overall there was a general peace about the place. She swished her feet about in the shallow water, enjoying the cool touch it left on her skin, the base of her dress submerged in the pool, casting reflections of red about it.


	7. First NA

This is just a quick note to say thank you for everyone who has reviewed, I really love to have feedback from any readers I have. However the main reason for this NA is that I don't know if this story if worth continuing, I've written several other chapters but nobody particularly, well except a few, seem to enjoy it. I'm sure that everyone knows what I'm getting at, I've got 1316 hits at the moment and 14 reviews, I would just like maybe three reviews, or even two, per chapter. Just so I know that people are still following the story.

However, I know that most of this story so far has been filling in details, and my writing isn't good. But, I am trying, I'm in year 8 at school so please don't judge me too harshly, I'll get better! I've put hours and hours of effort into this, and would just like to know that it's appreciated.

I'll stop whining now, sorry for this rant; please though, leave an opinion if you have the time. It means a lot.

Hurting-Angel


	8. Chapter 7

Link watched her from where he stood tending to Epona, Zelda twirled in the pool, her dress spiralling about her form with the weight of the water. He grinned as he watched her scoop a palm-full of the clear liquid into her hand, and let it trickle off again as she poured it back into the pool. Her innocent fascination in things such as this was enjoyable for him to watch, the simple-ness of the objects she took interest in sometimes surprised him, but she had only stayed with him for two days if you didn't count the evening he found her, and it was only a natural curiosity.

"You like the spring then?" He asked her.

She swirled around to meet him, and splashing the water slightly, bending down to reach it, nodded her head, "It's beautiful!"

"It's one of Ordon's better features, yes, I quite like it too."

Zelda laughed blissfully, "It's wonderful, if anyone didn't like it then they have no sense at all."

Link smiled as he watched her walk up to him, her eyes were twinkling, and her hair was falling out of place, strands curling around her face, but her elegance was still there.

"Swim with me, it'll be better with two!"

He blushed, "Really I don't think,"

She cut him off, "Please, just paddling, it's lovely in there, the temperatures just so."

"You'll get even wetter then you already are,"

"But, I'll have fun, and you will too, which is more important then a wet dress."

She continued to persuade him until the idea started to appeal, and once he had warmed to it she took his hand, the softness of her skin against the coarseness of his, and they walked across to the water.

They paddled for a little while, enjoying the sun, and Link splashing Zelda, laughing as she squealed and returned it with a soft rebuke. After that short while they had left the waters entertainment, and where now sat on the grass, drying there clothes a little before they continued on there plans for the day.

"So we're going through the woods as well."

"Aye, the trails are nice this time of year; you can find mushrooms along them"

She turned on her side to look at him, "Mushrooms?"

"I believe you mentioned dinner last night, and I'm sure we can make something out of them, we can buy other ingredients from the village. They make a lovely brew."

She looked at him thoughtfully, "I should pay you for this."

He looked at her frowning, "No, you're a guest, I shall look after you." Link closed his eyes, and relaxed again, ignoring that he could feel her watching him, and fought against himself not to look at her too.

"It isn't fair on you."

He sighed, "Really, Zelda, I do not mind, in fact, if it will stop your worrying, I enjoy it. So enough of this, we shall collect mushrooms, paddle in pools, and pick flowers all day until we are satisfied."

She laughed at his answer, "I did not know you liked to pick flowers."

"Eh, you learn some things working with Fado, like did you know that an Aconite means 'beware a deadly foe is near'."

She was giggling, and Link was watching her again so that he saw her merriment at what he had just said, "Really, it's true!"

"I believe you."

"Like you trust Fado?"

She smiled bashfully at him, "Yes, like that."

-: . :-

They walked up the leaf-ridden path, the trees standing tall and proud around them, gnarled with twisting branches, and moss covered parts of the ground with small moist clumps. Over Zelda's arm was a small wooden basket, there were indeed mushrooms along the trail, and she had acquired a small amount of them in the baskets bottom. She ran her finger over the skins of one of them, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together; they were smooth and felt wet to the touch.

Link strode ahead of her, pushing aside the branches that had grown over the path, and snapped mushrooms off at the stems to put in the basket. They'd left Epona by the start of the trail, grazing on the overgrown grass, and they had been walking from then on. The pathway was actually quite narrow, and they had walked in single file – one behind the other – until he felt a weak tug on the back of his tunic, he would not have noticed the movement if the fabric had not tightened around his torso. He half turned, not quite looking her in the eye, but implying that he was listening to her. He smiled crookedly in her direction, and she smiled back, but he could see that her face had lost all blushes, her porcelain skin glowing out against the vibrant green of the foliage surrounding them. He could vaguely see perspiration on her forehead and her eyes had dulled, something grey was surrounding her, and it wasn't right, neither did he like this change.

He narrowed his eyes; scrutinizing her for anything that could have affected her like this, whatever this might have been it had happened so quickly, "What's wrong?"

She smiled faintly at him, leaning foreword to keep her balance, "I think that…" she exhaled heavily, her chest heaved with the effort of doing so, and her eyes rolled back into her head – the whites staring unseeingly up at him – before they closed altogether, her body slumping in on itself.

As she fell, Link leapt forward to hold her, clenching the fabric of her dress as he grabbed at her, and drew her close to his side, one hand at her waist – his fingers splayed across the leather – and the other moving to hold her head to his shoulder, the feel of her hair ruffling under the pads of his fingers, "Zelda, Zelda wake up," He whispered into her pointed ear, scanning the area for a clue.

As his gaze averted down to the forests floor he looked away in revulsion, he immediately knew what had caused this from the puddle of shimmering blood that traced about the lady's feet.

His feet stomped against the ground, disturbing the various plants as he ran along the path, weaving in and out of any obstacles that fell into the line of his sight. The blood was wet on his hands, rising between his fingers, and was staining Zelda's dress, the scarlet colour of the liquid running down his arm, under the sleeve of his tunic. He breathed heavily, the rusty smell of the substance drifting up his nose. If Link had looked behind him, the sliver of Zelda's blood trail would weave a path from where he had run through the forest.

He leaped onto Epona, one arm fastened painfully tight around the ladies body, holding her to him as he spurred his horse into a gallop. Epona rearing onto her back legs before her hooves buckled on the floor and she galloped down the path, back to Links home. He was breathing heavily, his chest raking when he inhaled air, muttering profanities under his breath – only pausing in his curses to try and stir Zelda.

* * *

Note: I'm sorry that I took so long to get this chapter up - and I'm sorry it's so bad. I've got a lot going on, problems mainly, and it might take two or three weeks before I even get the next chapter up. I have to say a huge thankyou though for all the reviews, I was amazed at how many I got! Thanks so much, and I'm really going to try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. (oh, and if it gets a bit too sappy you're going to have to forgive me, I'm in a sappy mood :) )

Thanks, Hurting-Angel


	9. Chapter 8

His feet stomped against the ground, disturbing the various plants as he ran along the path, weaving in and out of any obstacles that fell into the line of his sight

His feet stomped against the ground, disturbing the various plants as he ran along the path, weaving in and out of any obstacles that fell into the line of his sight. The blood was wet on his hands, rising between his fingers, while it stained Zelda's dress, the scarlet colour of the liquid running down his arm, as it flowed across his hands, under the sleeve of his tunic. He breathed heavily, the rusty smell of the substance drifting up his nose. If Link had looked behind him, the sliver of Zelda's blood trail would weave a path from where he had run through the undergrowth.

He leaped onto Epona, one arm fastened painfully tight around the ladies body, holding her to him as he spurred his horse into a gallop. Epona rearing onto her back legs before her hooves buckled on the floor and she galloped down the path, back to Links home. He was breathing heavily, his chest rattling when he inhaled air, muttering profanities under his breath – only pausing in his curses to try and stir Zelda.

A woman stood outside the tree house talking to four children, her stomach enlarged and her face glowing with her pregnancy.

The peace in the clearing was cracked and shattered when a yell echoed around the hills surface, "Uli!"

The woman turned, her short blonde hair rustled in the winds breeze, her eyes widening and her face whitening as she saw what and who was on the horse before her. The young man swung himself down, Zelda still wrapped in the crook of his arm, he landed in a crouched position his face half covered with a sweat drenched mop of hair, and his face snapped up as he began to beg the older lady for help.

Uli shoved the door open with two hands, and guided Link into the room, his fast strides being difficult for a woman in her state to keep up with.

"We were walking; I never thought…she never said anything was wrong. We just followed the trail, no riding just, just…" He trailed off shaking his head, stress crashing through his mind, the barriers that had blocked off his panic as he brought her back to the house now flowing into all veins of his body, and he wished he could control his emotions better.

"We need to stop the blood flow, grab some cloth – blankets, and rip the fabric up into strips…" Uli ordered.

Link stomped across the floor, his heavy steps banging loudly on the wooden surface; he laid Zelda on the bed, her form sinking into the blankets, and quickly turned away. He wasn't naturally squeamish; if he had been her original rescue would have gone very differently, however, he'd grown fond of her in those few days, and the sight of so much blood…she was drenched in the scarlet fluid, and it covered his hands and clothes, staining him with the persons hurt.

Uli snapped at him, her tone severe, and he began listening intently to her instructions.

He sat slumped in a chair in Ilia's home, Ilia herself bustling about making a brew, the hard seat of the chair keeping him focused, and he tapped a rhythm out with the pads of his fingers – a small tapping sound emitting from it. Uli had instructed him to return to town and get extra help, she needed other people so that she could heal Zelda, he rode as fast as Epona's limits would allow. His breath had been uneven, rasping from between his teeth, as he ran into the middle of the town yelling out for assistance, his voice carrying through the crevices between the houses. Rusl, Mayor Bo and several other village people had come to Zelda's aid. But, he had been told to stay behind, he loathed that decision. He longed to see her, to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, just to see her without blood streaming from her opened wounds. They had told him that much, the wounds hadn't had enough time to heal, and had cracked when she had moved – they weren't sure when.

"It's not your fault." Ilia was tapping her foot impatiently, and Link felt a twinge of agitation pass through him, but he dismissed it, "Stop sulking, she's going to be fine, you're not helping anyone. I need an apple, pass it to me?"

He picked himself up from where he sat and grabbed the fruit, laying it on the small bench next to her.

"You should have brought her to meet me; I've only seen her briefly, I would like to know her."

"When did you see her?" He pondered idly, for the sake of something to occupy his thoughts.

She looked at him scathingly, "When you rode through town, really you should have seen you both…"

He smiled weakly at her, "Why?"

Ilia sighed, her eyes narrowing, "You looked like you were courting her; it was the only thing people would talk about. We thought you'd run off with her in secret, an act of rebellion after all these years," They both laughed, "You just looked so snug, sat there together, her holding onto you as you rode…"

Link swallowed, positioning himself away from her, purposely avoiding his friends gaze.

Link smiled relieved, and rubbed his face with his hands.

Rusl laughed then said, "Yes, yes, the young ladies fine. Tell you what though she had us scared for a minute there,"

Links features tightened, "Why?"

"Oh it wasn't really anything to be worried about; she's fine-"Rusl waved his hand dismissively.

"Tell me what happened!" Link shouted, his hands grasping the mans shoulders.

Rusl yelped out of surprise, though he felt no pain, "Calm your-self son, your friend's fine. Really, what's got into you?"

Link clenched his eyes shut as he spoke, unbelieving of the harshness he had just so un-expectantly displayed, "I'm sorry, I think I'm just tired. Can I return home now?"

The older man smiled kindly at him, "Of course lad, the young ladies asleep so don't make too much noise." He chuckled, "Don't want to wake a sleeping woman, they can moan for days."


	10. Chapter 9

The door closed with a small thump, and Links hand rested on its wooden surface

The door closed with a small thump, and Links hand rested on its wooden surface. Uli was sat by the side of his bed, leaning back in a chair, watching Zelda sleep with the attention a mother paid to a child.

Uli's eyes remained on Zelda as she whispered to Link, "I had to leave the room while they healed her, I'm sorry I didn't stay, but there was just so much blood."

Link was watching Zelda as well, observing the rising off the blankets as she breathed in and out, and how they ruffled slightly each time.

It was a few moments before he replied but when he did it was just as hushed as how Uli had spoken, "I understand, there's no need for an apology. I would have found it hard to stay as well." He laughed hollowly.

Uli's face softened in sympathy for the young man as she pulled his old stool up beside her, "Why don't you sit down dear."

He nodded, and took the seat beside her.

Zelda cracked her eyes open and groaned at the stiffness she felt in the base of her back. She moved a hand down her side until she found a clump of fabric wrapped around her waist; she fingered the layers of the material, and shrieked as a spark of fire shot up her side. She pushed her hand firmly onto her side, trying to numb the pain, and ground her teeth together until the hurt lapsed into a dull throb. Her eyes had shut on reflex, and therefore she was surprised when she felt hands trying to manoeuvre her own away from her waist.

"It'll need time to heal." The voice murmured, and she opened her eyes to see Link with his head turned away, avoiding her wilted stare.

He took a breath then continued, "I'm sorry-"Zelda made to interrupt him but he shook his head, "No, really, I'm truly sorry." He moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue, then continued, "They say, Rusl and the others," At her confused look he elaborated, "They helped to heal you – that you'll have to stay in bed for a few days. Wait for the wounds to properly start to recover, and then we'll take things slowly."

Zelda smiled sadly, "No more days at the ranch for a while."

Link smiled at how generally disappointed she looked, "Aye, but no worry, I'll make lots of soup."

Zelda laughed, and then tried to quiet down as they heard Uli shuffle on her makeshift pallet at the other side of the room.

It was five tedious days before Rusl cornered Link, after he'd finished his work at the ranch, to tell him Zelda would be allowed out of the house. Uli had spent the days with Zelda, bringing Colin with her sometimes, and Link usually came home to find that they were still sat talking. Of course, he'd seen Colin as well; the child came and sat with him on the hills, and Link often heard stories that Zelda had told him about warlocks and sorcerers, and other mystical beings. Link enjoyed listening to what the lady had told Colin, the stories were intriguing and helped to pass the time while he watched the goats on his shift. Of course he had mentioned them to her, and was rewarded with a blush as she muttered that they were just something she'd made up, he would laugh and tease her until she rebuked with offences to his soup; fake horror was beginning to be a speciality of his. Link had to admit, though, that he was surprised by how happy Zelda had been when he'd said she could go with him to work the next day, he never looked forward to work.

That following day was peaceful. Zelda lay back in the grass, some pieces tickling against her cheek, and fiddled with several small flowers she'd found, tying them together, then threading them through each other. Link stopped herding the goats – they were so docile that day that he felt no need to use Epona - and watched her as she concentrated on the small buds. He smiled softly before looking down at the ground; tugging on the bottom of his worn tunic, and frowning when he saw several unravelled threads. He sighed, and pulled on it once more, so that didn't rumple at the sides, walking forward to lead the final goat into the barn.

The quiet days continued that way for several weeks, Link finding any excuse to avoid Ilia meeting Zelda, and he couldn't help but notice how she looked out of the window in his home. Her eyes drooping and her face forlorn; she was going to leave, he felt it.


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10_

Link sat alone on the fence outside of the goat's field, Zelda was occupied with dress making at Uli's, she needed more; there were only several that Uli could lend her, so they had bought fabric from a passing market to make some with. As he sat on the fence Link's hair ruffled with the soft breeze and he lent back slightly, his muscles tight from an uncomfortable night, he'd barely slept; nightmares of no importance chasing him in his sleep. He looked tired; Ilia had told him that much when she ambushed him that morning. Fortunately Zelda had already headed over to Uli's small hut, and thus avoided meeting the exuberant young woman. Link ran a hand down his face, they'd have to meet eventually, and despite them both being his dear friends he dreaded it, he couldn't picture them being friends, they were too different. Cringing as he pictured it he rocked back slightly, the breeze cool on his face, and watched as Epona rolled in some of the longer grass, her tail swishing through the golden strands – almost the same colour as her mane.

He was going to end his shift early that day, Fado taking over from him when he left, so that he could have dinner with Uli, Colin and Zelda. Rusl was away for several days, travelling to Hyrule castle, for some reason or another and Uli was expecting her baby in a month's time; so they were going to keep her company until he returned. Rusl had created quite a lot of fuss before he left, apparently pregnant woman required a decent amount of looking after, Uli had waved him away though, scowling and telling him she was 'still quite capable of staying alive'. It had been quite funny, at the time, to see the large woman berate her husband. Zelda spent most of her time with Uli or he so he hadn't told her about Rusl's trip yet, Uli probably would have informed her of it anyway.

Link began to hum softly, while pondering in his thoughts, a tune escaping him as he waited for Fado's arrival. The evenings were becoming chillier as winter approached, the leaves crisped and painted in wonderful hues of burnt oranges and reds. As another gust of wind swept through the air Link hopped down from the fence so he could grab his cloak from where he left it next to Epona's saddle.

He swung the cape over his shoulders, the brown fabric muffling his body from the weather, and blew into his hands; rubbing them together to warm them.

"Hallo Link!" Fado stumbled through the gate, leading off the field, and waved buoyantly to the other young man.

"Good evening Fado." Link smiled warmly at his friend, and plodded over to meet him, "So, am I good to go?"

"Yeah, I've got everything covered." Fado grinned at him, stumbling on a mound of grass, before trudging through the field to sit on the fence Link had previously occupied.

The young man in question hummed in agreement, "Then I'll be going, I'm having dinner at Uli's."

"Ah, so no soup tonight!"

Link scowled, his eyebrows knitting together, "What is wrong with my soup?"

Fado laughed, "Nothing, nothing." He waggled his eyebrows, "So how's the young lady?"

"Fado!"

He laughed again, "Just asking, no harm meant, I swear!"

Link's eyes narrowed, "Fine, now I'm off to dinner. Zelda sends her greetings by the way, and I hope the goats give you hard time."

"Now, that hurt my friend."

Link smirked, "I really do need to be going though, however mind what you say, you don't know who'll hear you, and Zelda has a temper."

"I'm sure she does."

He shook his head, and still smirking went over to grab Epona's reins, "See you tomorrow Fado."

They waved to each other, and Link tugged on the reins, clicking his tongue to encourage his horse to follow.

Slowly he walked into Ordon, Epona following, and nodded to the various inhabitants he passed. For several minutes Major Bo stopped him to ask about Zelda's condition, but the conversation was quick and he soon found himself tying Epona to a wooden stake outside of Uli's home. Through the window Link could see Colin hop of a stool when he heard Epona's greeting whinny.

"There we are, girl, no soup tonight." He patted the horse's flank, dust flying off of her chestnut coat, and ran his hand down her back several times.

"Link!" Colin was stood in the doorway, smiling exuberantly at him, and Link jogged over to see the boy.

"Hello, dinner smells nice." A welcoming aroma wafted out of the door, and he grinned cheekily down at the boy, "No poison I hope."

"No, Mummy and Miss. Zelda have been making it for ages. They still are."

"Still!" Link faked shock and ruffled the boys' sunny blonde hair when he received a giggle for his efforts, "I'll have to see what's taking them so long."

He tugged off his boots, leaving them outside of the door, and walked into the steamy home, "What are they cooking?"

Colin had come in behind him, and the small boy grabbed Links hand, pulling the older man into the main room; where Uli and Zelda were stood around a stove.

Neither of the women noticed there entrance and, cocking an eyebrow, Link slunk up behind them, "That smells nice." He murmured.

Uli jumped, and Zelda shrieked, her mousy hair swirling around her form when she spun to face him, "When did you arrive?"

Uli was chucking quietly, and Colin was standing at his mother's side, trying to see what she was cooking, "Just now, I left Fado with the goats."

For several minutes they exchanged news about there days; Link had seated himself on one of the rickety chairs, while Zelda continued cooking.

Dinner still had thirty minutes to cook, and the ladies had continued with there dress making; they were stitching together pieces of pale pink fabric and Link watched as Zelda's fingers fiddled with a thin needle. When he'd come home Uli had fetched him a drink and he sat sipping at it, his eyes trained on watching the intricate patterns Zelda created.

* * *

Hello, sorry I haven't really updated for so long. A huge thankyou to Lady.Zayriah for pointing out my mistake in the uploading of the chapters - this is the real chapter :) I've written some other Legend of Zelda stuff so check it out if you haven't already, oh, and I'm thinking of adding a short Harry Potter one-shot (to appease my friends), that may be up later.

PLEASE READ: A note though, I do NOT hate Ilia - she's a good character. Her role in this story is just being Links friend, and he's being possesive over Zelda, which is why he doesn't want them to meet! Hope that clears some things up.

If you have any suggestions for this story I'd be grateful, any questions are welcome, and please keep the criticism gentle.

Thanks for taking the time to read this,

Hurting-angel


	12. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

Link couldn't understand how they knew where to put the needle, he could see it threading through the thin material and coming out of the underside, but where was the cotton? His tongue peaked out from between his lips, and his eyes should have scorched the fabric because of how intensely he was watching the work.

In the corner Colin leant forward, elbows on his knees and face in his hands, a quiet giggle sounding in the room. Zelda's head rose slowly, and she smiled back at him raising an eyebrow – although it seemed she hadn't quite perfected it, as Colin thought it was on more of a slant than higher, but it didn't really matter at that moment, he could try and teach her later if he wanted too. He still held her gaze, shyly grinning, before lifting a finger and pointing at Link.

The older boy had tilted himself forward in his chair, so as to see the stitchery better, and he rocked precariously on its spindly legs. The back two were only just scraping the floor, so as to keep the chair from toppling over, and if Link moved the smallest bit he'd be sprawled on the ground. Now that she could see what he had done Zelda's lips began to twitch and deliberately she slowed in her work, biting her lip to stop from laughing out loud at the herder's rapt expression. Even Uli was watching by now, although it seemed to be Colin enjoying the scene most.

"Link…" Zelda called, pulling the word out.

"Yeah," He wasn't looking at her; or rather he was more interest in her fingers.

"Crash."

Startled he looked up, his face frozen between bemused confusion and shock, for the chair tipped upwards falling on top of the eventually peeved young man.

Accompanying the boiling of the pan the other three members of the room began to laugh at the sight of the young man lying on the floor. His hair was swept over one of his eyes and his mouth formed a small circle, captured in the scene. None of them heard the light knock on the wooden draw, but a hand pushed it open anyway.

Ilia stood in the doorway, rather at a loss with the situation, "Link, why are you on the floor?"

Slowly his head turned, so that he could see her and he waved at her, grinning dizzily.

"Hello Ilia."

She was sorely tempted to march into the room and drag him up, preferably by grabbing his ear, but the woman – who could be no one but Zelda – had risen when she entered.

"Hello," The woman, Zelda – she needed to remind herself of that – had outstretched her hand and she tentatively took it, "I don't believe we've met."

She was a pretty young lady, strong facial structure but with soft eyes, and in reflex Ilia smiled, patting down her clothes with her free hand, and nodded to her politely, "I'm Ilia, Link's friend."

"Oh!" Zelda looked delighted, apples in her cheeks and a smile sweeping her face. She stepped forward a little more, avoiding where Link still lay, "He's told me about you, I've heard you've got a talent with looking after Epona."

Beaming down at the man, who had propped his head up on his hand watching them, she nodded enthusiastically at the other lady, "You're quite the word around town as well, I'm surprised we haven't met until know," She narrowed her eyes at Link.

Zelda's lips were springing upwards again, "True, but I haven't really gone around the town yet, I've spent most of my time at the ranch or here."

Ilia wasn't surprised, "I'll show you around, since _somebody_ obviously can't." It seemed people were ganging up on Link today, "How about we have lunch together some time. Then we can go around meeting and greeting the others."

"I'd like that."

Vaguely it registered in her mind how surprised she was, she'd been expecting Zelda to be a lot more…something. Just, not as serene as she was, and she was shocked at how well the girl looked. What had happened to her disaster in arriving there?

"Good! We'll get that sorted then, won't we? In the meantime I want to know a little more about you," She felt as if she was intruding somewhat, and Zelda's body had numbed, almost like a statue, "Where'd you come from? Anywhere I'll know?"

Link was watching the young woman as well, and Zelda felt as if the air was purging in on her, then dragging itself from her body in one huge blow. Her hands leapt around at her side for something to fiddle with, a bad habit she'd acuminated, and she ripped onto the lower fabric of her dress. The quiet in the room was becoming stifling so she cleared her throat quietly, and raised her head higher. Applying a metal mask onto her face she started to search inside of her mind for a suitable answer.

"I…travelled here from Castletown."

It seemed she'd chosen correctly, for Ilia's, Link's and Uli's eyes lit up. Colin, however, seemed to have little interest in this piece of information.

"Really? I've never been but Rusl is travelling through there at the moment. Is it nice this time of year?"

A hard block inside of her seemed to melt down to a comforting bubble again, "yes, it's quite lovely at the moment. I think he'll enjoy the time he spends there."

"Well, that's something at least," Uli chirped in, her hand patting her stomach.

Ilia's mouth was opening to add something else to the conversation, but her eyes darted out of one of the small windows very quickly instead.

"I'm supposed to be home by now," The lady giggled, raising a hand to her mouth, "I better get off. It was nice t meet you, Zelda."

She had to agree, and she wondered why they hadn't met before, although it didn't particularly matter.

"And you."

She watched as Ilia turned to the bashful young man, still on the ground. Treading carefully she wondered if he'd mess up his clothes, or crease them.

"And you," Ilia poked him in the head, to which he groaned, "Had better be back in that chair – upright – before I get out of the door. Be careful, and look after yourself"

"I will, and I'll bring Zelda round." he replied, pushing the chair off of him.

"She can bring herself round, she's more capable then you are Link, she is a woman!"

"Certainly."

"Good. Bye!"

Twirling around to wave again at Zelda, Uli and Colin she swept herself out of the room.

Meanwhile, feeling pleasantly content Zelda turned to look at Link, who was just setting the chair back in place, "She's so nice isn't she!"

He looked rather amused, and he wrinkled his nose as he grinned at her, "Thank the goddesses."

"Pardon?"

Before he answered Uli had leapt up, and grasped Zelda by the elbow, nattering on about how they'd have to be quick to mix up a sauce to go with the dinner's main course.

--

A/N Hello, wow, it's been a very long time since I've updated anything on here! I wrote this chapter ages ago, but I only just re-found it today. I know it's short, like all the others and there's no LinkXzelda fluff, but I wanted to put something up and I hope you forgive me for both not posting and how rubbish this is! One day I'll write a 3000 word chapter and surprise you all :) Oh, and a huge thankyou to all my reviewers, I'm very greatful to you all!

P.S. The woman comment Ilia makes is because I feel like having her stand up for something like that, to show her brash and passionate personality. You don't have to agree with it ;)


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